Music Auditions

A music audition is required for these programs:
  • Music (B.A.)
  • Music/Business (only performance tracks)
  • Music Composition
  • Music Education
  • Music Therapy
  • Non-music majors who'd like to perform in a Nazareth ensemble and compete for a music scholarship

Requirements

  • Submit the appropriate application: First-time students | Transfer students
  • Auditions are required before applicant notification, as Nazareth accepts students directly to our programs.
  • Schedule your audition
    • Timing: Auditions are held from fall to spring. All audition dates will close two weeks prior, so please register early.
    • Format: In-person, with a virtual option if you cannot make it to one of our in-person dates. For a virtual option, email Catherine Gregory, cgregor3@naz.edu.
  • Upload any relevant materials to your Admissions Dashboard

Schedule Your Audition

Select an audition date

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As you register for your audition date you will be asked for:

  • The repertoire you plan to audition with
  • A piano placement questionnaire
  • General information about you and your music experience

After registering, you will have the opportunity to provide an optional music resume. This will be uploaded through your Admissions Dashboard.

Virtual audition

The School of Music will coordinate with you a recorded audition and Zoom interview. You will submit your recordings through your Admissions Dashboard using YouTube. Additionally, we will send out virtual options for any assessments that would be given in person.

Please email musicadmissions@naz.edu if you’d like to pursue this option.

Audition Process

What to expect

We are excited to welcome students and their families to campus for auditions! We will hand out schedules to students the day of your audition. On your audition day, you can expect the following on your schedule:

  • Group break-out sessions to chat with Program Directors and Instrument Areas
  • Piano Placement assessment (if needed; assessment is used to register you for the appropriate course sections once enrolled)
  • Warm up time
  • Your music audition and interview with faculty from your performance area as well as your major
  • Music therapy major auditions will include a brief singing/aural skills assessment during the music audition portion. This will occur “in the moment”, so there is nothing that you need to prepare.
  • Music composition majors will have an additional composition interview. At least one week before your audition, you will receive an email requesting PDFs and MP3s of three of your strongest works. Online links to recordings and videos are acceptable.

In addition to the above, you will have opportunities to meet with current students and faculty from the School of Music, speak to Admissions counselors, explore clubs, ensembles, and more. We encourage you to interact and ask them questions while on campus!

How to audition

Choose your instrument from the options below.

Piano, Organ, & Harpsichord

MUSIC (B.A.), MUSIC EDUCATION, & MUSIC THERAPY DEGREES:

  • Prepare two memorized works selected from contrasting historical style periods — Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th-Century. 

    • one may be a jazz/contemporary piece.

  • Scales/arpeggios (two octaves hands together) may be requested.

  • Sight-reading

MUSIC/BUSINESS & MUSIC COMPOSITION DEGREES:

  • Prepare two memorized works selected from contrasting historical style periods — Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th-Century. 

    • one may be a jazz/contemporary piece, or one of your own compositions.

  • Scales/arpeggios (two octaves hands together) may be requested.

  • Sight-reading

For questions about piano repertoire selection, contact Dr. Jacob Ertl, jertl2@naz.edu

For questions about organ repertoire selection, contact Dr. Dianne Maynard-Christensen, dmaynar6@naz.edu 

For questions about harpsichord repertoire selection, contact Dr. Bonnie Choi, bchoi6@naz.edu

Voice

MUSIC (B.A.), MUSIC EDUCATION, & MUSIC THERAPY DEGREES:

  • Prepare three memorized pieces:

    • One must be selected from the standard classical vocal repertoire suitable to your age and ability

    • One must be in a foreign language

    • One may be jazz/musical theatre/folk or contemporary

MUSIC/BUSINESS & MUSIC COMPOSITION DEGREES:

  • Prepare three memorized pieces:

    • One must be selected from the standard classical vocal repertoire suitable to your age and ability

    • One may be in a foreign language

    • One may be jazz/musical theatre/folk or contemporary, or one of your own compositions.

An accompanist will be provided for you. You must provide the accompanist with your music. Please bring an organized binder of your music that is clean and legible, double-sided, and hole-punched in the correct order. If you wish to bring your own accompanist, please let us know.

For questions about vocal repertoire selection, contact Dr. Katie Hannigan, khannig6@naz.edu

Brass & Woodwinds

MUSIC (B.A.), MUSIC EDUCATION, & MUSIC THERAPY DEGREES:

  • Prepare two pieces contrasting in style and tempo

    • One may be a jazz/folk/contemporary piece

  • Chromatic Scale and two major scales (multiple octaves) demonstrating the practical range of the instrument using a variety of slurring and tonguing techniques.

MUSIC/BUSINESS & MUSIC COMPOSITION DEGREES:

  • Prepare two pieces contrasting in style and tempo

    • One may be a jazz/folk/contemporary piece, or one of your own compositions.

  • Chromatic Scale and two major scales (multiple octaves) demonstrating the practical range of the instrument using a variety of slurring and tonguing techniques.

For questions about brass/woodwind repertoire selection, contact Dr. Jared Chase, jchase6@naz.edu

Strings (violin, viola, cello, bass, harp, guitar)

Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp

MUSIC (B.A.), MUSIC EDUCATION, & MUSIC THERAPY DEGREES:

  • Prepare two pieces contrasting in style and tempo

    • One may be a jazz/folk/contemporary piece

  • A 2- to 3-octave major scale and related melodic minor scale with accompanying major and minor arpeggios of the applicant's choice

MUSIC/BUSINESS & MUSIC COMPOSITION DEGREES:

  • Prepare two pieces contrasting in style and tempo

    • One may be a jazz/folk/contemporary piece, or one of your own compositions

  • A 2- to 3-octave major scale and related melodic minor scale with accompanying major and minor arpeggios of the applicant's choice

For questions about violin, viola, cello, & bass repertoire selection, contact Dr. Raul Munguia, rmungui7@naz.edu  

For questions about harp repertoire selection, contact Prof. Grace Browning, gbrowni0@naz.edu

Acoustic Guitar

MUSIC (B.A.), MUSIC EDUCATION, & MUSIC THERAPY DEGREES:

  • Prepare two pieces representing contrasting styles

    • One piece must demonstrate finger picking in a classical style

    • One piece may be in a jazz, pop, folk, or rock style 

  • Scales in two or three octaves

  • Sight-reading

MUSIC/BUSINESS & MUSIC COMPOSITION DEGREES:

  • Prepare two pieces representing contrasting styles

    • One piece must demonstrate finger picking in a classical style

    • One piece may be in a jazz, pop, folk, or rock style, or one of your own compositions

  • Scales in two or three octaves

  • Sight-reading

For questions about acoustic guitar repertoire selection, contact Prof. Django Klumpp, dklumpp6@naz.edu

Electric Guitar

ALL DEGREES:

  • Prepare two pieces representing contrasting styles

    • One may be in a jazz/folk/contemporary (pop/rock) style, or one of your own compositions. You may play solo or use a backing track.

  • Improvisation: You will be asked to improvise over a short instrumental progression. Be prepared to play over a standard I, IV, V blues progression in G. We will provide the backing track.

  • Scales: two octave major scales in various keys, and demonstrate knowledge of a variety of chords from basic to more complex.

  • We encourage you to bring your own amp, cord, and BlueTooth speaker. If you need us to provide them, you must inform musicadmissions@naz.edu well in advance of your audition.

For questions about electric guitar repertoire selection, contact Prof. John Viviani, jvivian1@naz.edu

Electric Bass

ALL DEGREES:

  • Prepare two pieces representing contrasting styles

    • One may be in a jazz/folk/contemporary (pop/rock) style, or one of your own compositions. You may play solo or use a backing track.

    • One classical etude is preferred

  • Demonstrate melody and accompaniment, as well as technique and time-feel. Accompaniment must be appropriate to the style, i.e. jazz walking bass, rock bass line.

  • Play 2 octave major scales and triads in the keys of C, F, and Bb.

  • Sight-reading

  • We encourage you to bring your own amp, cord, and BlueTooth speaker. If you need us to provide them, you must inform musicadmissions@naz.edu well in advance of your audition.

For questions about electric bass repertoire selection, contact Prof. Eugene Bisdikian, ebisdik0@naz.edu

Percussion

MUSIC (B.A.) & MUSIC EDUCATION DEGREES:

  • A short solo on each of the following instruments: snare drum, marimba, and timpani

  • Rudiments, scales and arpeggios, and timpani tuning

  • Optional: In addition to auditioning on the above, you may also perform a piece on drum set.

MUSIC/BUSINESS & MUSIC COMPOSITION DEGREES:

  • A short solo on two of the following instruments of your choice: snare drum, marimba, timpani, drum set

    • One piece may be one of your own compositions

  • Rudiments, scales and arpeggios, and timpani tuning dependent on instruments chosen

MUSIC THERAPY DEGREES:

  • A short solo on each of the following instruments: snare drum, marimba, and timpani or drumset

  • Rudiments, scales and arpeggios, and timpani tuning

For questions about percussion repertoire selection, contact Prof. Kristen Shiner McGuire, kshiner7@naz.edu

Non-music majors

Prepare two pieces contrasting in style and tempo.

Questions?

For technology issues, questions about the admissions process, or questions regarding your application:

For questions related to study at the School of Music or audition material:

Scholarships

For music majors: All students are considered for a Visual, Performing Arts, & Design (VPAD) Scholarship. If awarded, the scholarship will be included in your financial aid award letter.

For non-music majors: You are welcome to audition for a Non-Major Visual, Performing Arts, & Design (VPAD) Ensemble Scholarship to perform in a School of Music ensemble. However, you do not have to receive a scholarship to perform in an ensemble; ensembles are open for any student to participate. (Students who are majors in the College of Visual, Performing Arts, & Design — theatre, art, musical theatre, dance, etc. — are not eligible for an ensemble scholarship due to already receiving a VPAD Scholarship for the intended major. You may still participate in the School of Music ensembles.)

Jazz musicians: The Paul and Beverly Smoker Jazz scholarship is awarded annually to an entering full-time undergraduate student pursuing any School of Music major who demonstrates a serious interest in jazz performance and intends to pursue jazz studies at Nazareth University. Selection will be based upon your audition and a jazz-focused video submission demonstrating strong jazz performance ability and potential for development in the art form. Contact musicadmissions@naz.edu for more information.